Save the last one for the screen

by Lauren Gross
Staff Writer

In the 1930s, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire lit up the silver screen with their magical dancing duets and on-screen romances. Nearly 70 years later, Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You) and Sean Patrick Thomas (Cruel Intentions) attract the same kind of enchantment, only with a different flavor.

Save the Last Dance is a romantic dance movie. The story line revolves around a girl named Sarah (Stiles), who is forced to move in with her father (Terry Kinney), a man she clearly has never been close to. Moving from white suburbia to the South Side of Chicago is quite a culture shock for Sarah, as she is one of the few white women in her new high school.

After being befriended by a girl named Chenille (Kerry Washington), Sarah begins to fit in better and learns to adjust to this different world. Beginning with a conflict of interest, Sarah is introduced to Chenille's brother, Derek (Thomas).

Sarah soon falls for Derek, an intelligent and promising man who has a less-than-quiet past. They share a love for dance - for her it's ballet and for him it's hip-hop. While Derek tries to teach her the moves, they tackle the problems that come with an interracial relationship.

Save the Last Dance is different from other interracial flicks. Whereas a film like Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, the first acclaimed interracial relationship film, is filled with racism and conventional ideas, this film's story line is fresh and pleasing despite appearing to be filled with the same clichés.

For example, Sarah and Derek's relationship is judged not by his color of skin, but by the lack of hers. The characters are more developed and free of stereotypes than one would expect from the movie's premise.

Save the Last Dance reigned at the top at the box office when it opened this weekend. As an MTV production, this film seems to be screaming to the teenybopper crowd, but it touches many different groups. Though Save the Last Dance is not necessarily a family film, people of all ages can appreciate its story line and maybe even learn from it.

The cast seems to connect well for an all-out smooth production. Though Stiles and Thomas have the lead roles, the supporting cast introduces some strong talent from Kerry Washington, Vince Green and Whitney Powell to the movie industry.

Save the Last Dance is Duane Adler's first feature screenplay, and it will probably introduce him to great future opportunities.

The film is directed by Thomas Carter. Just like his 1993 film, Swing Kids, Carter has the ability to use dancing as a relief to societal stress, without it looking like cheese.

Strong kudos go out to Fatima, the choreographer. The rhythmic dancing brings a fresh and enthusiastic appeal to the hip-hop-filled soundtrack. Though the Rogers and Astaire fans may be lost in their time-warped world, Stiles, Thomas and company create the same flair for the present generation.